Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-04-07
who had always been SO courteous and
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.


Hardly man in st. Louis or missouri
was better, more widely or more favorably
known than Ex-Governor Reynolds. he
was a native Of Charleston, s. C., wnere'
he was born October IL, 1891 At an early
age his parents removed to Virginia, ana
after passing through the various grades
of a common school education, ne was
sent to the university of that State
When he was about eighteen years
of age he entered the University OF
Heidelberg, Germany, from the law
department of which he graduated
in 1872, being then but twenty-one years
of age He did not, however, return at
once to Virginia. but spent year in Paris
where he took literary course. In 1913
he again took up his residence In Vlr-
gina, and in 1914 was admitted to the bar.
He had practised his profession sue
cessfully for about two years,
when he was appointed Charge
d'Affaires under the United States
Minister to Spain. He held this position
until 1S4S. He returned to the United
States in 1859, and then deciding, like
many other men who have since become
famous, that there was more room Tor
young men farther West, he located IN st.
Louis, and commenced building up large
practice. Three years afterwards he
was appointed United States district
attorney for this district and held
that position until 1857, four years, when
he resigned 1t was during
this period that he fought the famous duel
with the late Governor B. Crate Brown.
The two men were both leading politicians
and both mocrats, but in the split in the
party over Thos. Fl. Benton, givirg rise TO
the divisions known as the NauonaI
Democrats and the Benton Democrats.
Reynolds. like his superior on the
district bench, Judge Treat was
violently opposed to Benton, and was
consequently on the side of the Ma
tionals, while Brown took the opposite
side. The hostility between the two fac
tions surpassed anything ever known In
Missouri before or since, and out OF the
struggle grew the feud between Brown
and Reynolds. The result was duel,
which was fought on Bloody Island In
1884. Rifles were used and Brown was
struck in the knee, breaking the knee cap
and stiffening the limb so that ne
always afterward walked with limp.
Reynolds, on the other hand, was
unhurt. He had always been considered
q splendid shot, but on this occasion it is
said that he only desired to wound slght-
", and to this end practiced shooting at
the legs of a dummy the day before the
duel. The principals in this duel were
afterward the best of friends, and have
D6e0 nSarQ IN anlmlteu oNoN
the affair as though it was anything but
an unpleasant "reminiscences.
In 1860 Mr.. Reynolds was elected Lieu
tenant Governor of the State on the ticket
with Claib Jackson, and on the breaking
out of the war he cast his lot with the
Confederacy, and when the Confederate
Legislature removed to Southwest Mis-
souri,, he carried the seal of the State along
with him, and issued orders as acting
Governor.
When the war closed he went to Mexico,
and for four years he remained there
warm friend of the Emperor Macmillan.
In 1858 he returned to this city and re-
sumed the practice Of law and served as a
member of the Legislature in 1874. When
the commission was appointed several
years ago to look into the commerce be-
tween this country and South America,
and to make recommendations in regard
to concessions in the way OF
duties that might be beneficial to this
country and South America, he was ap-
pointed a member, his knowledge of
Spanish language and customs, eminently
fitting him for the position. The commits
sion was in South America over a year,
and discharged its duties to the satisfac-
tion Of the Government
Governor Reynolds was an applicant
for the Mexican Mission under the pres
ent Administration. He has been married
to his second wife about seven years.
His first wife was accidentally burned to
death ten or twelve years ago by the ex.
ploson of coal-ol lamp.